Locomotive stoker



Aug. 2, 1927.

N. M. LOWER LocoMoTIvE sToKEH 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventar arfezwaWf/ Filed Jan.l'7, 1925 N. M. LOWER LOCOMOTIVE STOKER y Aug. 2,1927. 1,637,491

Filed Jan.17. 1925 4 sheets-sheet 3 Aug. 2, 1927.

N. M. LQwx-:R

LOCOMOTIVE STOKER 'Filed Jani?. 1925l 4 shuts-sheet 4 Patented Aug; 2, 1927.

UNITED `STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NATHAN I.

Lownn, or H'rrsnuaen, rnNNs'YLvan-IA. AssIGNon. 'ro 'Locouo'rrvn STOKEB (liPAN'Y,4 A. COBPOBATION 0F '.PENNSYLVANIA. i

Locoxo'rrvn s'roimn.

4Application med AJanuary 17,1925. serial No. 8,026.

This invention relates to stokers, and more particularly to stokers for locomotives.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of a mechanical stoker thatv is pro- E vided with new and im roved means for selowing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a verticalv section of the rearportion of a locomotive showing the stoker in osition thereon, with parts broken away an showing the structure more or less diagrammatically;

Fig. 2 is a section approximately on the` lines 2-2 of Figs. 3 and 4 respectively;

Fig. 3 is a section approximately on the Vlines 3-3 of Figs. 1 and 2 respectively;

Fig. 4 is a lsection approximately on line 4-4 of Fig. 3, with parts broken away, and showing the structure more or less diagrammatically; l Y Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the cams and cam operatin mechanism on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4, with parts in section and parts broken away;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a portion of the Stoker applied to a locomotive, with lparts in section and parts broken away;

Fig. 7 isa section on line 7 7 of Fig. 2;

Fig.' 8 is a. detail showing the shifter rod;

and

Fig. 9 is a developed view of the shifter flanges of the worm wheel.

On the drawings, the reference character 10 designates the hackv wall of a locomotive virebox 11, and 12 an opening in said wall through which the fuel 1s adapted'to be intro'duced and distributed over the grates 13.

Since the details of the locomotive constitute no part of the present invention the same are not illustrated and will no t be further described.

A distributor plate 14 which extends into y 240, gear 25, and intermeshing gears 26 and other. Suitable means have the opening 12 is adapted to receive the fuel fromthe tender byy anyA suitable means, and from which the fuel is distributed in the lirebox by a swinging vane 15 at .each side of 'the distributor plate 14, as is common in the art. v

Suitable means are provided for trans- Aferring the fuel `from the tender to the distributor plate. As shown,v a transferring conduit 16 in which the screwconveyor 17 rotates is employed for this purpose. The screw conveyor 17 is operated from the shaft 18 in the usual'manner. The shaft 18 is operated from the power shaft 19 through the worm and gear drive 20, the shaft 19 being operated by any suitable power device, as is usual in such constructions. 4

The fuel from the'. transferring conduit isv delivered to the elevator casing 21 in which reciprocates the plunger or elevator 22 which is raised and lowered by the crank 23 and connecting'link 24.

The crank 23 may be provided with a counterweight 230. The crank is operated from 'the power shaft 19 through the worm 27 as clearly shown` on Fig. 4 of the drawing.

The elevator or plunger 22 raises' the fuel intermittently above and onto the'distributor plate 14 from which it is projected into the irebox by thel vanes 15 as vwill presently appear. f- 'The vanes 15 are mounted on shafts to the lower ends of which are secured the gears. 250 and 260 which mesh with actuating quadrant gears 27() and 28, respectively, on. the upper ends of the vane actuating memy bers. 65 and 66. These members comprise sleeves or hubs 67 and 68, to which ,are rigidly connected the upwardly extending. quadrant arms 69 and 70 and the downwardly extending cam engaging arms 29 and 31, respectively. The sleeves or hubs 67 `and 68 ofthe vane actuating members are oscillatably mounted as at 30 and 300. The arms 29 and 31 are operated by actuating cams 32, 33 and 34 which engage the cam engagi-ngl `members as the rollers 35 and 36 carrie by lthe lower en'ds of said arms, as will presently appear.

It is desirable at times to trim the lire at one sideof the rebox to the exclusion of the been provided for this purpose, which will now be described. In the form of the device 4selected to illustrate one embodiment of the invention suitable camv members are employed to actuate the vanes. `As shown in ligf4 the gea'rwheels 2,5 and 26 are rigidly securedto the ends of a drum 37 which is suitably mounted on antifriction bearings on {the shaft 40 in the casing 38. Slidably mounted on the drum 37 and keyed thereto is a sleeve 39 on the periphery of which are the cam members' 32, 33 and 34. The ca ms 32 and 33 are spaced apart and arranged substantially 180o from the cam 34. In the normal operation ofthe device the cams 32 and 33 engage the rollers 35 and 36, respectively, for operating the vanes 15.

'Ihe cams 32 and 33 are adapted to project the vanes- 15 forwardly and the same are retracted by the springs 410 and 420 which are connected to the casing 3.8 and to arms 430 and 44 on the sleeves or hubs 67 and 68, respectively. v Suitable means are provided for shifting the sleeve longitudinally of the drum 37 sp that one of the vanes may operate to thev exclusion of the` other in order to trim the fire at one side only of the firebox. As shown, pins or bolts 41 secured vto the outer end of the sleeve 39 slideably engage openings in the gear wheel 25 and have their outer ends attached to a shifter ring 42 operating in an annular recess in the outer face of said wheel 25. The `ring 42 is provided with a flange 43 which is adapted to be engaged by a shifter member 44, see Fig. 3,l

which is adapted to be operated by the bell crank 45 secured to the shaft 46. The shaft 46 is adapted tobe operated by the handle 47. lIhepinsor bolts 41 may, if desired, constitute the sole means for preventing relative rotation between the drum and the sleeve. By means of the lever 47 the operator can' cause 'the'vanes to be operated alternately or either one to the exclusion of the othen If, for instance, it is desired to operate the valid at the right to trim the re at the right hand side of the rebox the lever -47 is'operated to move the'sleeve 39 outwardly so that the roller 36 of thelever 31 will` be in the path of both cams 33 and`34.

When-the sleeve is in this position, the roller 35 will be engaging the cylindrical portion 48 of the inner end ofthe sleeve 39 and the that operate in opposite directionsby similar actuating arms, they are of differentcontour. Ihe contour ofthe intermediate cam is preferably a mean betweenthe contour of the other two.

vperiphery of the Wheel 25.

In order to prevent shifting of the cams while the same are in engagement with the rollers 35 and 36 suitable means are pro- "sleeve between the cam surfaces. .As shown,\

the shifter member 44, which may have its shifter ring engaging head in the form of a segment 49, see F ig. 8, is provided with an outwardly 'extending projection or timer `lug 51 which operates in grooves 52 or 53 formed bj the flanges 54 and 55 on the inner Theiange 54 is provided with a notch 56 which is large enough to permit the passage 0f the timer lug 51 therethrough when the'notch comes opposite the said lug to shift the sleeve inwardly. rIhe flange is likewise provided with a similar notch 57 through which the timer lug may pass when thel notch comes' sure proper shifting and' avoid locking the parts during the shifting operation the timer lug andthe edges of the flanges adjacent thenotches are tapered as shown at 58 and 59, respectively.

vW hen the cams are in the position shown in Fig. 4, the vanes are both normally operating and the timer lug is engaging the groove between the flanges 54 and 55. When it is desirable or necessary to shift the cams inwardly so as to'operate the left vane tov the exclusion 'of the right, the lever 47 is moved rearwardly, which forces the timer lug against the flange 54 and when the notch 56 comes opposite the lug the latter will pass through, thus' shifting the sleeve 39 inwardly for operating the left vane, exclusively.

-When-it is desired to operate the right vane to the exclusion of the left, the lever 47 is moved in the opposite direction for shifting the sleeve 39. outwardly in a manner similar to that described above. The lever 47 is held in adjusted position, as by means of a'notched quadrant 60, in the usual manner, see Fig. 6.

.It isA thought from the foregoing taken in connection with the accompanying drawings that the construction and operation of my device will .he apparent' to those skilled in the art. Various changes in size, shape,

proportion and details of construction may f be made without departing from the spirit said vanes for distributing said operat' said mechafuel, an means for adjusti nism for operating one of sai exclusion of the other.

2. 'In a locomotive stoker, in combination,

' a air of `distributing vanes, an elevator for va pair of 4nism for distributing for controlling sai vloperatin cam mechanism for either ofA said vanesto the exclusion of e other. n 4. In a locomotive Stoker, a tributingvanes means for delivering fuel into the path of said vanes, a pair of oscillatingarms for operating said vanes, rality of cams for oscillating said arms, and means for causing one of said cams .to operate upon one of said arms andanother upon theaothe'r arm, respectively, or for causing certain of said cams to o rate upon either of said arms nto the exclusion of the other.

`5. In a locomotive Stoker, in combination,-v

a pair of swinging vanes, means including a plunger for delivering fuel intothe path of said vanes, an oscillating arm geared to each of said vanes, cams for oscillating said arms for swin said vanes forwardly to Adistribute said nel, and means for causin certain of said cams` to operate on one o said arms to the exclusion of the other.

6. In a locomotive Stoker, in combination, fuel distributing members, means for de-` livering fuel into the rpath of said members, cam operated mechanism for moving said members forwardl in timed relation to the movement of sai means forV distributing said fuel, and means for varying tlie order vanes to the said fuel, and lmeans pair of dis- L a pluof operation of ysaidymembers relatively "to 50 the o ration of said means.

7. a locomotive stoker, in

for delivering fuel yinto the path of said y combination, I fa lpair of fuel distributing members, means members, means including lcam mechanism for moving said members, and means for controlling said mechanism for` operating said members either alternately or one to the exclusion of the other.

8. In a Stoker, in combination, a pair of M swin ing vanes, an elevator for delivering fuel into the path of said vanes, means including cam members for moving said vanes forwardlyfor distributing said fuel in the rebox of a locomotive, means including a 05 resilientl member for retracting said vanes, and means for -shifting said cam members from a position` for actuating both of said vanes to a position for actuating one only of said vanes.

v9. In' a Stoker, in combination, apair of swinging vanes, an elevator for deliverin fuel into the path of said vanes, arms geare to said vanes for swinging the. same, a pluarms, meanstfor changing the relative posi-vr tions of said arms and cams for operating said arms alternately, or one to the exclusion of the other, and meansv for preventing the changing of therelative position of said so cams' and arms except at predetermined points in the rotationof said cams.

10. In a Stoker, a pair of swin g vanes,- means including cammembers or moving said vanes forwardly, and means for shifting said cam members to operate one-'vane to the exclusion of the other. f l 11. In a locomotive stokera pair'of distributing members, means for delivering fuel -rality of rotating cams for operating lsaid 75 into the path of said members, meansfor moving said members, rigid means for operatin -said second-named means for posij l tive y moving said members Iforwardly for distributing said fuel, and means for the operation of one of said members to the exclusion of the (iger.

THAN M. LOWER.

""es, l

`said rigid means whereby the same will cause 

